|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Matthew Shepard
|
-Martin Luter King, Jr.
"Lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." 
MATTHEW SHEPARD December 1, 1976 - October 12, 1998 On Tuesday evening, October 6, 1998, U. of Wyoming Student Matthew Shepard had left friends and decided to go to a local campus bar where he was a regular. There he ran into two men who told Matthew they were gay too. Matthew thought he had made two new friends – in a town where young gay people aren't easy to find – when he accepted their ride home. That night the bright, young, 21-year old college student's worst nightmare came true as he was repeatedly pistol-whipped, beaten, burned, and ultimately, his near lifeless body crucified to a wooden fence and left abandoned in an open field outside of town. Matthew would remain bleeding, beaten, while the freezing wind would batter his almost unrecognizable body for over 18 hours until he was found by a passerby. He arrived at the hospital in critical condition where he would die a few days later on October 12, 1998. N E W S S T O R I E S / S T A T E M E N T S Gay
student critically hurt in attack (10/9/98)
Gay
student brutalized in Wyoming (10/9/98)
Matthew
Shepard medical update (10/10/98 9 pm)
Statement
by the President (10/10/98)
Gay
man clings to life after attack (10/11/98)
Wyoming
student who was savagely beaten dies( 10/12/98)
ABC
20/20 Report
Laid
to rest
A
Chaplain's Reflection
Remember
Matthew
 
"to be nobody but yourself
in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you everybody
else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight
and never stop fighting"
Read at Matthew Shepard Vigil
Matt once told me that he was going to be famous and that he was going to make a difference in the area of human rights. I have to think he had no idea how true that statement would be. Matt is never going to
hop off my couch and bounce off to class or to meet a friend, ever again.
But I have to believe that his eyes are dancing as he looks down and sees
how he has touched the heart and soul of the people of this nation. But
please remember, no matter what good may come from all of this, the price
was too high. The price was too high. Please be safe." -WALTER
BOUDIN
"Isn't it hard, standing in the rain. You're on the verge of going crazy,
and your heart's in pain. No one can hear, but you're screaming so loud.
You feel like you're all alone in a faceless crowd... reaching for a hand that'll
understand -- someone who feels the same. When you live in a cookie cutter
world, being different is a sin."
F O R
M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N
Matthew
Shepard — 1976 - 1998
|
But
there are other images of Matt that present themselves. Matt showing up
at my door, and asking "Am I bothering you?". His eyes were not dancing,
and he was not offering his energetic hug. His eyes had the look of a little
boy who had just seen a scary movie. He'd come in and ask if he could "just
hang". He'd have his backpack and schoolbooks with him. He'd either sit
and watch TV for a little while, or take his books out and start doing
homework. After a short time, he'd start talking about hearing someone
call out "faggot", or hearing someone talk about "queers". We'd talk about
how this touched Matt at the core of his heart, and he needed to feel safe
again. Then he'd just hang around, regrouping, and trying to harden himself.
Something that never came easy for Matt, because he was not the type of
person to "be hard". After some time, the Matt with the dancing eyes would
start coming back and he'd be off to class or to meet a friend for coffee.
